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8 Black Documentary Films Everyone Should Watch

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“Cuba, An African Odyssey”


“Cuba, An African Odyssey”, directed by Jihan El Tahri, documents the diplomatic and military assistance given by the Cuban government under Fidel Castro to the independence movements in Guinea-Bissau, Angola and The Republic of the Congo.  The careers of leaders like Che Guevara, Amilcar Cabral, António Agostinho Neto, Patrice Lumumba and Joseph Ileo are explored, as the filmmaker shows how trans-Atlantic ties strengthened the struggle for self-determination and dignity on the African continent during the second half of the 20th century.

“Black In Latin America”

“Black In Latin America”, directed by Henry Louis Gates, shines light on the lives of the African Diaspora living in Cuba, South America and the island of Hispaniola.  With large segments on Mexico and Brazil, and smaller segments on other nations in Central and South America, as well as in the Caribbean, this documentary shows that there are few places in the western hemisphere that have not been beneficially touched by people of African descent.

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